The Domino Effect
by Demosthenes23
Summary: A continuation of the ending to 605, Murdoch Au Naturel.
1. Starting to Fall

Murdoch stood in silent contemplation watching the British flag limply waving in the slight breeze but not really seeing it. There was the hotel, The Queen's Hotel, not twenty feet in front of him. Was he really going to do this? How would he be perceived afterwards? Would he lose the respect of his colleagues, of George and the inspector? Or would they be happy for him? Did he really care anymore what they thought?

Once upon a time, Murdoch had thought of himself as a prim and proper gentleman, as someone to hold on to his dignity and virtue at all costs. But now, now he wasn't sure what he was. He had already on several occasions kissed a married woman, had coveted that which wasn't his, had sinned in the eyes of the Lord. Did he even have the right to call himself a Catholic anymore? Or had he strayed too far already to ever get back to his religious roots? And again, did he really care?

All he knew was that he was tired of standing idly by, waiting for this abhorrent divorce to finally reach a conclusion. He couldn't wait another six months, not now, not after seeing...no, it was best not to think about such things. They did him no good.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her approaching in the window and soon after called his name. He turned to face her, heart quickening at the sight of her, of what he knew lay just beneath those thin layers of fabric.

_Get a hold of yourself William!_

"I'm sorry I'm late." Looking away but still smiling she said, "I trust you've forgiven me for earlier."

He was barely paying attention to her apologies for his mind had begun to race.

Gulping he said quickly before losing his nerve, "Julia, I've reserved a room for us at The Queen's Hotel."

Her eyes widened in shock and her jaw dropped. "William!" she gasped quietly, glancing at the passersby.

Murdoch charged on ahead. "Under both our names, we'll both sign the ledger."

Hesitatingly she responded. "William, I...I can't ask you to be involved in such a sordid task."

"Julia, I am involved. There's no question. We both are." He gestured with his hand, "In this and in everything."

Still incredulous she said, "The Queen's Hotel. _Everyone_ will see us."

Despite himself and the situation he was enjoying her disbelief. For once he was doing something outrageous, almost spontaneous, and he liked the effect it had on her. The only other times he could recall were when he jumped into the hot air balloon and more recently when he kissed her on New Years Eve in front of everyone.

Smirking ever so slightly, "Witnesses, a signed ledger, that should be all the evidence you need."

Seriously, "Are you quite sure you want to do this? You know there will be no going back."

Blinking a few times in his nervousness, "I'm sure."

After taking a deep, steadying breath she replied, "So you're prepared to spend the night together?"

There was a glint in her eye that scared and thrilled him so he nodded eagerly a few times, not quite trusting himself to speak yet. Eventually he smiled and holding up his big black bag, said, "I've brought dominoes."

Again she looked at him incredulously and then released a wheezy chuckle, he smiled wider and she laughed softly as she took his arm and they slowly ambled to their destination. As they passed through the green doors, arm in arm, he immediately became very aware of all the attention this was causing in such a place, at such an hour. For a second he doubted himself but then he glanced sideways at his love and all second guessing was erased from his mind. If this is what it took to be with her, to claim her as his own for all time, so be it.

They approached the front desk, Murdoch placed his bag on the ground and the clerk asked how he could help them.

"I've reserved room 314 under the names Julia Ogden and William Murdoch."

The stout man narrowed his eyes slightly, as if in disapproval. "I see." The next instant he was all jovial and accommodating. "Let me just check my records, sir!" He dragged his finger down the ledger page and said, "Ah, yes. You're right here!" Then he turned the book around so that it was facing them and held out a pen. "If you'll be so kind as to sign now."

Hand slightly shaking, he accepted the writing instrument and the clerk swivelled around to locate the desired room key. Murdoch lowered his hand to the paper but found he couldn't write, his hand was far too wobbly. Julia touched it lightly and he looked up into her eyes. They were filled with such compassion that his nerves immediately relaxed and he hurriedly signed. She followed suit and just as they finished, the clerk returned with their key.

Holding it out to him he said, "Room 314!" Murdoch let him drop it into his hand and he clasped it tightly, afraid he might somehow lose it if he did not. "That will be one dollar, sir!"

He fumbled for his wallet in his suit pocket and dropped it on the ground. Slightly embarrassed by his ineptitude, he picked it up and found a crisp dollar bill within, one he had purposely placed there for this special occasion.

The clerk snatched it out of his hand and said, "Thank you, sir! Have a wonderful evening! If you need anything, anything at all, just let us know and we'll be more than happy to help! Take care now!"

They thanked him and made their way over to the elevator. The seconds ticked by and he started tapping his foot in agitation. Julia glanced sideways at him and he stopped. Shortly after the doors opened and they came face to face with none other than Ruby! She was also arm in arm with a younger man, though Murdoch didn't recognize him. It was hard to say who was more surprised by this chance encounter; both sides were dumbfounded.

Julia released her hold on Murdoch and exclaimed, "Ruby?! What are you doing here?"

Getting over her shock quickly, Ruby smirked and eyed Murdoch mischievously, "I could ask you the same thing, Jules."

Still flustered, she blushed faintly, looking at him and said, "Oh, this is-"

"Exactly what it looks like Ruby," finished Murdoch, surprised by his own gumption. Then he took her arm again.

Julia was startled by his response and Ruby laughed then, quite tickled by his boldness and the entire situation.

"My, my, detective, you've certainly come a long way since last I saw you." She shared a look between the two of them and said, "I'm glad you finally came to your senses, the both of you. Life is too short to worry about society's perception of oneself." Smirking again while looking at her male companion, "I'm living proof of that."

"And who may I ask are you, sir?" said Murdoch, remembering his manners.

Holding out his hand, "King, Mackenzie King."

They shook briefly and then Ruby said, "This is detective Murdoch and my sister Julia."

"Pleasure I'm sure," he said in a way that made it seem like he could have cared less.

"Mackenzie here is thinking of getting into politics." She nudged him, making him smile. "I think he'd make quite the statesman. Wouldn't you agree, Jules?"

"I...I'll have to take your word for it."

There was an awkward pause and then, "Well, we really must be going. We have tickets to the Paris Revue and we don't want to be late!"

They left them standing there in awe and it was then that they heard a whiny sort of man calling to them from the elevator.

"Are you going up or not?"

Stepping in, the elevator operator closed the two doors and they rode up the three levels. No one got off with them. So it was that they were completely alone as they made their way down the hallway to their room. The silence was eerie and caused him to focus on his fears.

My God, he thought. We will be sharing a room for the entire night! What was I thinking? This is insanity!

Before he could psyche himself out too much, they arrived at the dreaded door and he retrieved the key from his pocket. Julia turned on the light and they saw that the room was small but cozy looking. A little too cozy. There was only one bed!

_Confound it! I explicitly asked for two!_

"I'll get this sorted out right away," he grumbled, plopping his bag of dominoes on the floor.

He turned slightly, intending to head back down but Julia wouldn't release his arm.

"Julia..." he said hesitatingly.

"We're already here, William, what difference does it make?" She smiled, "Don't worry, I'll keep to my side of the bed, if that's what you're worried about." Smirking, "Besides, with such an enticement before us as dominoes, we are sure to be up all night!"

Reluctantly he returned the smile and closed the door. Then he glanced at his pocket watch and saw it was only a quarter to nine.

_This is going to be a very long night, a very long night indeed._


	2. Collision Imminent

Since she had no possessions with her besides her purse, there was nothing to get organized, baggage wise. It was then that he realized she had no change of clothing! (he had packed his red pyjamas with the dominoes). Maybe it was for the best if they both remained fully clothed? Yes, he would make sure of it (save for their hats which had been tossed on the bed). After today's events...it would be easy for something untoward to happen between them, if he let it.

As they set up the dominoes on the only table in the room, she was continuously smiling at him, to the point where it was distracting.

He looked into her eyes and she said, "I still can't believe you did this, William."

Murdoch made a face as if hurt but only pretending. "That stings Julia. I'll have you know that I can be _very_ unpredictable when I want to be."

Like lightning, her eyes flashed with what he perceived to be excitement and her lip curled. "Is that so, detective?"

"Yes, doctor, it is."

"What other talents do you have up your sleeve, I wonder?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

They hadn't joked around like this in a long while and it did his heart good to do so again. But he had to put a stop to it now, before things continued on in this way.

He broke eye contact and began collecting his seven tiles. She followed suit, having a good idea of what he was up to but for now, letting him get away with it.

"So, Julia, would you like to start?"

"Why I'd be delighted to, William."

And so they played in near silence for almost an hour before becoming bored with the game. After that, they began stacking them ever upwards, simulating the Eiffel tower to some degree. Their construction was getting more and more wobbly until it finally collapsed, scattering all over the table and floor and their laps. They both laughed a bit and she reached out and touched his hand. While it was still gloved, it was not a good idea to maintain this contact for much longer, not when she was looking at him in a way he loved but couldn't abide. So he quickly came up with a plan of action. Grabbing a handful of tiles he knelt on the ground and began sticking them vertically on their smaller side, one after another, fairly close together.

"William, what on earth are you doing?"

"Just wait and see, Julia."

About five minutes later, he had exhausted their supply and the spiralling pattern he had created took up the larger part of the available carpet.

"All right, now watch this."

Gently knocking the outermost tile, it collided with the next, and the next almost at the same time, so that the loud clacking sound it made as they collapsed in a dizzying manner was over with within ten seconds.

"How marvellous!" she exclaimed, clasping her hands together."How ever did you come up with such an idea?"

Shrugging, "Basic principles of physics and gravity,"- smiling, "but mostly I just happened to think of it after our mishap."

She laughed. "Why doesn't that surprise me?"

_Now what?_

"Would you like to try, Julia?"

She nodded and squatted down beside him, like she hadn't done since the last body they had investigated together. It seemed so long ago because it was. The last case in which she examined a dead body in the field, in such a manner, with him there, was the Dracula case. That evening when he had informed her of the final results to the case, there had been a palpable sexual tension between them. Not unlike this night. But the last time they had been interrupted by Darcy. There would be no such interruption this time, no safety net to fall on should the need arise. And the more time he was spending with her, alone, in such close proximity, the more it was seeming like he'd break his neck. Was that such a bad thing? Murdoch recalled a certain conversation he had had with her in a vivid feverish dream. She had told him that love was like gravity and that you had to let yourself fall. Wasn't that what he was doing? Wasn't that what was right?

Julia arranged hers in a wavy pattern and then laughed as she let the first one fall and it collided with the next. Again, all too soon this process was over and Murdoch was left wondering what to do next. He was determined to exhaust all possible ideas before risking getting into bed with her. That was where the real danger lay.

_Why did I listen to her? Why didn't I just change rooms?_

He knew the answer to these questions before he even asked them. Firstly, it would be beneficial to be listed in a room with only one bed. They were trying to cause a scandal after all! He should have asked for only one himself but felt he'd be presuming too much. Though honestly, he could have just slept on the ground, hell, he _still _could. The real question here was, did he really want to?

Something had snapped in him when he saw Julia in all her glory. That was the reason they were here. That was why he was letting himself fall. But he hoped there was more to it than that. He hoped it wasn't simply some carnal need that had driven him to such extreme lengths. After everything they'd been through, was he truly no better than any other man? Didn't he still have _some_ principles? Or was he that desperate for some human touch, _her_ touch, that he would gladly collide with the ground? Did he care if he was broken into a thousand pieces; if he became unrecognizable from the man he used to be?

There had been silence between them for far too long and she was looking at him again in a tantalizing way. Without warning she kissed him. Almost immediately he broke away and she looked at him confused and hurt.

"Julia," he said quietly, eyes downcast, "I'm sorry but I can't."

Frowning, "I don't see what the problem is, William, it's not like we've never done that before."

Still not catching her eyes,"Yes, but things are...different now."

Slightly angry. "Why? Because other men have seen me naked? Or because you did _before _we were married? Or both?"

"Julia-"

Even angrier, "Am I that repulsive to you now? Have I been forever sullied in your eyes? In the eyes of your God!"

It was his turn to get angry. "Of course not Julia! How could you even think that? Would we even be here if I did?"

She threw up her hands, "Then what is it, William? What's the problem?"

"I'm afraid I'll lose control!" he burst out, grabbing her shoulders, startling her. "I'm afraid of what will happen if I let it! I'm afraid I'll go too far!" He saw the shock in her eyes and promptly released her, looking away, "I'm sorry, Julia, I didn't mean to frighten you."

"No, I'm sorry, William," she said apologetically, "I spoke foolishly, without thinking."

The second awkward silence of the evening commenced and this one lasted much longer. Finally he glanced at the time and saw it was just after ten thirty. Her kiss had awakened something in him and his determination evaporated into thin air.

"I suppose we should just go to bed then."

"Yes, I suppose."

She stood up and went over to her purse which was hanging on her chair. Julia yanked off her gloves and was momentarily stunned when she caught sight of her wedding rings, as if it was such a big surprise to see them there. Turning her back to him, and with some difficulty, she slid them off and dropped them into her purse. Then she removed her earrings and also placed them within. Next she pulled the bobby pins from her hair, letting it tumble down all at once in a heap. She shook her head in order to redistribute it a bit better but then stopped when she caught Murdoch intently watching her. Even from this distance, (he hadn't moved from his place on the carpet) it was easy to see how full of lust his eyes were. She wondered how she could have missed that before. Of course he was still in love with her. It was silly to have thought otherwise, but then again, she hadn't been thinking. That was always her undoing. His was to over think everything. Clearly this was why they often had terrible communication skills, why they were in the mess they were in.

By the time she had kicked off her shoes, he had done so as well and they both just stood there, staring at each other. There was now a haunted quality to his eyes which disturbed and saddened her. She wanted to reach out to him but knew better. Instead, she broke eye contact, placed their hats on the bedside table and then crawled into bed, lying on her side, not facing him. Julia didn't know if he would follow or if he would simply stand there all night. An unknown length of time passed where nothing happened. Then abruptly the light was extinguished and she felt the bed shift under his added weight.

But that wasn't what surprised her. What surprised her was when he snuggled up to her, letting the contours of their bodies co-mingle so closely. They might have been fully clothed but she was still pretty sure this was the closest they had ever been to one another.

She heard him breathe in the smell of her and then felt him push her ample hair from her neck. His lips brushed against her tender skin and she sighed in pleasure.

"I love you, Julia," he whispered near her ear. "I always have. I always will."

She turned to face him and said, "I love you too, William." They smiled at one another, the whiteness from their teeth faintly visible. "Thank you so much for doing this for me. For us. I never imagined-"

William caught her off guard when he claimed her mouth with his own while simultaneously pulling her tight against his body. Soon his hands were lost in her hair and she could barely think, could barely breath, their connection was so intense. He had never kissed her like this before. There was an almost animalistic quality to it that both delighted and scared her. But what would happen to him if she let him go too far? And did she even have the desire to try and stop him?


	3. Disaster Averted?

**Yannick: "The following contains scenes with nudity. Reader discretion is advised." **

**Authors Note: Seriously though, this part is rated M-ish. ;)**

* * *

They had just professed their love for another and in that moment he was happier than he had ever been in his life. Julia continued talking but he was no longer paying attention. What had begun to manifest in him the moment he laid eyes on her true form, had now developed into an overwhelming desire to touch her body, to feel her warm skin against his own; to put it bluntly, as he had joked once upon a time; have his way with her. There was no joking around this time as he grabbed her against him, as their open mouths collided with one another, over and over again, in a thunderous capacity that sent an electric shock endlessly undulating across his entire body and mind. In other words, he had never felt more alive! On top of this most invigorating sensation, there was another, which was much more unpleasant; he was burning up, positively on fire!

Though he loathed to release his hold on her for even one second, he did, and in a kneeling position began tearing off his clothes, throwing them haphazardly around the room. Julia was following suit and soon she was in nothing more than her undergarments. Though Murdoch had slid the suspenders from his shoulders, and removed his undershirt so that he was now bare chested, he was too impatient to touch her again, to bother taking his pants off completely. She ran a finger down his chest and he shivered with yearning.

Once again they were in each others arms and playing tonsil hockey. He lavished the feel of her exposed skin on his own and desired ever more. So it was that he turned her around and hastily began undoing the fastenings to her corset; all the while showering her neck and shoulders with kisses, making her breathing quicken even more, exciting him to no end. Finally the odious entrappings were flung away and her back was completely naked. She turned around to face him and as he beheld her glorious bosom in the faint moonlight streaming through a slit in the window, he felt his face grow hot and the stirrings of something else down below.

All his haste had vanished now that he was free to unabashedly stare, and she seemed vaguely amused by his change in demeanour. Then she took his hands and placed them on her breasts and he gently squeezed them, making her moan softly. At that utterance, he pulled her close and for the first time their bare chests made contact. The feeling was exquisite and served to madden him with desire, all thought and regret went out the window.

He lay on his back and knowing what he wanted, she yanked his pants off and tossed them over her shoulder. They hit the chair where her purse still resided and it fell to the ground with a dull thud, spilling its contents. Out of the corner of her eye and as he began covering her body with kisses, sending her into an ecstasy of bliss, she absentmindedly noticed this. However, when there was a momentary lull, in which he was attempting to pull off her underwear, she caught a gleam of something metallic. Her wedding rings.

Just like that her senses came rushing back to her and she laid a hand on his eager trembling ones, in an an effort to make him stop.

That didn't seem to be quite enough so she said, "William, stop." Putting more pressure on his wrists. "_William._" Finally he looked at her confused and hurt, mirroring herself earlier that night. She continued, clasping his hands in her own, "You don't want to go through with this. It will ruin you. It will ruin us. Search your feelings, William, you know this to be true." Bitterly he glanced away. "And after everything we've been through, after everything you've sacrificed, I can't let you throw it all away. Not just for one night of passion. Not like this. Not yet."

Tears of frustration clung to his eyeballs and his voice broke, piercing her heart to the core. "Why does everything have to be so difficult? Why can we never seem to catch a break? Why can't we just be together, as God intended?"

Squeezing his hands, "We will be together someday soon, William, in the eyes of God and man. Nothing will stop us this time, I promise."

William put his head to her chest and she stroked his hair for a few minutes, doing her best to calm him down. Eventually his breathing slowed and she gently laid him down beside her, bringing his arms around to rest on her stomach, where her own resided. Hands entwined, with his head buried in her hair, they drifted off to sleep surprisingly easily, as if they hadn't just been through a whirlwind of emotions; as if this were the most natural thing in the world, as if they had always done this.

* * *

Morning came and he was awakened by the first rays of sunlight piercing through the curtains. Half expecting the previous night to have all been a dream, he was delighted to find Julia still pressed up against him, in almost the same position. He kissed her shoulder and she stirred.

"Good morning, Julia," he said happily, overjoyed at still holding her in his arms.

"The same to you, William."

"I wish we could always be like this."

"As do I."

He kissed her neck a few times and she scolded him in a teasing manner. "William_, _don't start that again. You'll spoil your appetite for breakfast. And I believe they serve a most scrumptious spread here."

"I've got a scrumptious spread right here," he purred, squeezing one of her buttocks through the thin fabric of her underwear.

Gasping, "_William! No!"_

"All right, all right," he said releasing her. He laughed, "I was just having a little fun."

She turned around in order to give him a disapproving look but when she saw just how excited he was getting, instead got out of bed and collected her clothing from the ground. Then she began dressing.

Elbow propping his head up, he intently watched her progress saying, "What's the rush, Julia? Why don't you take your time?" Smirking, "It's not often I get to enjoy such magnificent sights."

Oh dear, she thought. Is he always going to be like this from now on?

Don't get her wrong, she loved how uninhibited he was letting himself be. And it was all well and good here in this setting but once they got back to reality, to society, he would need to be able to restrain himself again; to get back to the button upped detective everyone admired. Then again, was that really even possible anymore? By the end of the day, their infamy would almost certainly be printed in the paper, for all to see. That had been the plan. That had been why she wanted to keep him out of this. Would people be able to look past the gossip, past his personal life and still find the stoic, honourable, professional man beneath? Or would he be shunned everywhere he went, by his friends and colleagues, by his own church congregation? Would he now suffer the isolation of an outcast, just when he finally seemed to have found his place in life? Had he truly thought this thing through? Or had he rushed into this because of what he had seen in the woods?

Judging by what happened last night, she thought she knew the answer. This knowledge flattered her but also slightly disappointed her. She had thought him stronger than that. But could she really blame him? And if their roles had been reversed, would she have acted any different?

Fully clothed again and noticing that he was still in bed and eyeing her lustfully, she exclaimed, "Hurry up, William! I'm quite famished!"

He groaned in fake annoyance and did as he was told. When he stood up in nothing more than his underwear, she couldn't help but sneak glances. Now that the daylight was illuminating his body, it was hard to look away. He caught her staring and grinned. Then with white undershirt on, he came over to her and despite herself, her heart beat faster. Reaching towards her, she closed her eyes and braced for his touch but it never came. When she opened them, he stood right in front of her, eyes laughing, holding up his trousers. She gave him an annoyed look and he pretended as if he hadn't seen it.

Pants on again, snapping suspenders into place, it seemed like the danger had past. As if reading her thoughts he grabbed her and planted a passionate kiss on her soft lips. Julia weathered the storm as best she could and just when she felt like she was sinking past help, he ended it, rescuing her from drowning.

He winked at her and then collected the rest of his clothing off the carpet. While he was preoccupied with that, she hunched over for her wedding rings and hastily slipped them back on, her white gloves following soon after. By the time she had put the finishing touches to her hair, she found William all ready to go, hat in hand, waiting for her by the door.

Cocking his head in her direction, "Who's the tortoise now, doctor?"

She made a face at him and jammed her hat on her head. Seizing her purse, she walked over to him and he held out his arm. So it was that they left the room in much the same fashion that they had entered, save for William's dominoes. They were still scattered all over the floor. They would have to come back for them later, she was too hungry to bother with such a task right now.

Back on the main floor, they made their way over to the dining hall. It was quite bustling and it looked like they'd be waiting awhile for a spot, something she wasn't very happy about. Suddenly she saw someone waving at her in the distance. It was her sister. Mackenzie King was also present.

"Well, good morning you two," a smiling Ruby said as they approached. They responded in kind. She stood up and hugged each of them in turn. "I'm ever so glad for the both of you. And I'm extremely proud of you, William. It took a lot of courage to do what you did last night. But I'm sure the rewards outweighed the risk, eh, detective?" Ruby winked at him and he smiled unabashedly.

"Now really, Ruby," muttered Julia. "Is that anyway to behave, in front of your escort no less?"

Her sister smiled and waved her hand. "Oh Will doesn't mind. Isn't that right dear?"

He made a non-committal grunt and Julia seriously doubted he would ever amount to anything. Certainly he would never rise very high in the political arena even if he attempted to. He had about as much charisma as a wet sock. Who in their right mind would vote for him?

"Will?" enquired William confusedly. "I thought your name was Mackenzie?"

"My full name is William Lyon Mackenzie King. But-"

"Never mind that," interrupted Ruby. Gesturing to the two available seats, "Sit, sit. You must be starving after last nights exploits."

"_Ruby,"_ Julia scolded. About a second later her stomach growled and Ruby and William laughed. King just sat there looking bored and she wondered what her sister saw in him that she didn't. Ruby snapped her fingers and almost immediately a waiter came over to her side. They ordered some food and while they were waiting, her sister launched into a detailed description of The Paris Revue, making William blush here and there, like a little school boy.

_Welcome back Detective Murdoch._

* * *

**One question: Did you catch the Star Wars reference? xD  
**

*******Note: For those who don't know, Mackenzie King was Canada's Prime Minister for a total of 22 years! The longest out of all of them! At the time of this story he was 26 years old and just beginning his political career. (I moved this blurb here for obvious reasons).  
**


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